Taking care of a fevered child: Are you making a mistake?

A fever is a familiar situation, often seen in the first years of life. However, not all mothers understand and know how to properly handle this situation. Do you know how to reduce fever properly or are you still making mistakes? Find out right away the following article!

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1 / Not all children with fever are dangerous

2 / Measure the temperature in the anus the most accurate

3 / Fever is the body's defense response

4 / Give the child antipyretic medication too soon

5 / Cold compresses to cool down?

Not really understanding fever as well as how to properly reduce fever for children is a common mistake of many mothers when taking care of children with fever. Are you making this mistake? Are you sure you already know everything about children's fevers? Find out immediately the information below to get the answer for me, mom!

Are you sure you have completely understood the child's fever?

1 / Not all children with fever are dangerous

Children, especially infants with unstable body temperature, are susceptible to many factors such as exercise, warm baths or clothes ... Moreover, their body temperature tends to increase in the afternoon. dark and low early in the morning. Instead of focusing on body temperature, mothers should pay attention to many other symptoms of the baby. If the child is cold, bleeding, convulsive, difficult to breathe ... the mother should promptly take the child to the doctor.

2 / Measure the temperature in the anus the most accurate

Measuring temperature with a thermometer will give the most accurate results, no matter where you measure it? In fact, mothers can measure the baby's temperature in the armpits and ears, but the most accurate position is still the anus. For infants under 3 months old, experts still recommend measuring the thermometer in the anus. The measured temperature in other locations may vary between 1-2 degrees Celsius.

How to measure a baby's temperature correctly It sounds simple, but in fact, many mothers still do not know how to measure the child's temperature, especially the best baby. Where is the best place to measure the child's temperature? What is the normal temperature? Refer to the following article for the most accurate answer, mom!

3 / Fever is the body's defense response

Not a disease, fever is the body's response to the onset of bacteria and viruses, and is seen as a sign of well-being. So, mothers do not need to worry too much if the baby's body warms slightly.

4 / Give the child antipyretic medication too soon

Children with a fever can have many causes, and antipyretics are not the perfect treatment for all cases. As soon as the mother finds out that the child has a fever, the mother should find a way to cool down the child by dressing the child in cool clothes, using a warm towel to wipe the body. At the same time encourage your child to drink more water. Antipyretic drugs should only be used when the child has a constant high fever, above 39 degrees and there is no sign of hypothermia. Note: Mother should carefully review the instructions for use to know the exact dosage as well as choose the right medicine suitable for the child's age.

- Acetaminophen (Paracetamol): The drug can be used for children under 3 months old. The dosage depends on the child's weight. For each kg of weight equivalent to about 15 - 20 mg.

- Ibuprofen: Used for children from 6 months old. Dosage also depends on the child's weight, equivalent to 5-10 mg / kg.

- Aspirin: Not used for the purpose of reducing fever in children under 21 months of age.

Among the antipyretic drugs for children, Acetaminophen (Paracetamol) is considered to be the safest, with the least side effects. Antipyretic drugs containing Ibuprofen easily cause negative reactions to the digestive system, while drugs with aspirin ingredients can affect the brain. Absolutely not arbitrarily using combination drugs.

5 / Cold compresses to cool down?

Using a cold washcloth or ice pack to compress your baby's fever is a way to reduce fever that many mothers apply. However, according to the World Health Organization, this not only does not help reduce fever but also leads to many harms to children's health.

Many studies show that cold compresses are only really effective in cases of heatstroke. Cold compresses in cases where a child has a fever caused by an infection not only does not work to cool down, but only makes the baby more uncomfortable. In addition, children with pneumonia when they are treated with cold compresses will make their condition worse. Ice packs are also banned, as they can cause cold burns, leading to respiratory distress.